Screw cap locking device for jars



p i 1 1961 R. A. l. LUNDGREN 2,980,275

SCREW CAP LOCKING DEVICE FOR JARS Filed Nov. 5, 1957 INVENTOR PVDOLFADOLF AFAK LU/ DGEEN ATTORNEY United States Patent F 2,980,275 SCREW CAPLOCKING DEVICE FOR JARS Rudolf Adolf Isak Lundgren, Sanghus Gard,Overenhorna, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Astra, ApotekarnesKlemiska Fabriker, Sodertalje, Sweden, a company of Sweden Filed Nov. 5,1957, Ser. No. 694,650 Claims priority, application Sweden Nov. 21, 195612 Claims. (Cl. 215-43) The present invention relates to a screw caplocking device for jars. The device according to the invention ischaracterized in that it consists of a ring of resilient material, saidring being arranged around the jar closely below the screw cap and beingnon-rotatable in relationship to the jar, and that the ring and thelower edge of the screw cap are provided with coacting serrations, theserration of the ring being able to be disengaged from the serration ofthe screw cap by the resilient ring being pulled away from the screwcap, which then can be unscrewed.

The locking device will be described in the following with reference tothe attached drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 show two embodiments ofthe device according to the invention. Fig. 3 shows a locking ring whichmay replace the locking ring above the bottle in Fig. 2, thereby toinclude a locking ring having teeth at apparently diametrically opposedpoints on it.

Figure 1 shows a jar 6, a screw cap 13 and a ring 1 of resilientmaterial. The ring is provided with two diametrically opposedprotuberances 2 and 4. In the protuberance 2 there is a notch 3 by meansof which the ring is secured to the jar in a way which will be disclosedlater. On the top side of the protuberance 4 three upstanding teeth 5are provided, one side of which extends at right angles to the plane ofthe ring and the other side sloping to this plane.

In the usual manner the jar 6 is provided with a neck 7 having a thread12 for the screw cap. The jar turns into the narrower neck by way of therounded portion 8. Between the portion 8 and the neck there is a collar11.

On the rounded portion 8 an upstanding shoulder 9 is arranged which ismade integrally with the jar itself. This shoulder 9 and the notch 3 ofthe ring 1 are thus dimensioned that the ring 1 can be put on to therounded portion 8 in such a way that the shoulder 9 engages the notch 3,whereby the ring 1 is secured against turning.

After the ring 1 has been put on its place, the cap 13 is screwed on.The cap is provided on the lower edge with a serration 18 which isadapted to coact with the teeth 5 on the ring 1 in such a manner thatthe teeth on the cap snap over the teeth on the ring when the cap isscrewed on, whereby the cap can be tightened as desired. The serrations5 of the ring 1 and serrations 18 of the cap 13 are so shaped that thecap can be screwed onto the jaw 6 against the spring action of the ring5.

When the cap is to be unscrewed, the lip 4 on the ring 1 is pulleddownwards, away from the cap. The

teeth 5 then disengage the serration 13 on the lower edge of the cap,whereby the cap is set free and may be unscrewed.

Figure 2 shows a jar 6, and a locking ring 14 somewhat difierentlyshaped. In order to prevent the ring 14 from being turned around thejar, the ring is provided in this case with a protuberance 15 on theoutice side of which a recess 16 is arranged, adapted to cooperate withthe shoulder 17 which is provided on the rounded portion 8 of the jar,closely below the neck. The protuberance 15 has a thickness increasingtowards the periphery so that it abuts the rounded portion of e ar.

In Figure 3, the teeth 5a and the extension 4a adjoining them arelocated on locking ring 14 apparently diametrically opposite the teeth5b and the extension 4b adjoining them. v

The locking ring should be made of a resilient material. This may bemetal but we prefer to make the locking rings of a plastic material,such as polythene.

If the material of the ring has sufiicient ductility, that; part of thering which carries the teeth 5 will not only be bent downwards, whenpressing down the lip 4, but also slip downwards-outwards on the roundedportion 8. The same elfect may be attained with a less ductile ringmaterial if the inner diameter of the ring is made so much larger thanthe outer diameter of the collar 11 of the jar, around which collar thering is placed, that the ring, when pulling down the lip a little whileassuming an oval shape.

In using locking rings of a plastic material, especially a fairly softsuch a material, it is advisable to make the serration gently roundedoff on the ring as well as on the screw cap, this for the purpose ofreducing as far as possible the wear of the teeth which will occur whenthe cap is screwed on.

Possibly the serration may be made in such a man-i ner that the cap canonly be screwed on if the lip 4 is kept down. However, fromconsiderations of convenience the embodiment shown is to be preferred,the teeth hence slipping one over the other when the cap is screwed on.

In the embodiment shown the locking ring is fitted with teeth at onepoint of the periphery only. If desired, teeth may for instance beprovided at two diametrically opposed points. Both these portions of thering must then be pulled down simultaneously in order to release thecap. Such a jar will of course be more ditficult to open than that shownin the figures.

As a rule the lower edge of the screw cap need not be toothed all aroundthe periphery. For instance, it may be suflicient to provide teeth alongone fourth of the periphery, as usually the variations of. the positionof the screw cap when fully screwed on are very small.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a container such as a bottle or jar having (a) aneck closeable by a screw-cap with inside threads that engage inregistry with threads on the outside of the container neck and (b) aradially relatively flat shoulder portion of the body of the containerannularly encircling the base of the neck, a screwcap locking meanscomprising a locking ring whose opening is of such size to slip over thecontainer neck and rest on the relatively flat shoulder portion, andextending from the ring a plurality of teeth shaped to allowcorrespondingly reciprocally shaped teeth projecting from the bottom ofthe skirt of the screw-cap to slip over them as the screw-cap is aboutreaching its closed position and to intermesh and engage with them whenthe screw-cap reaches its closed position; and, apart from said teeth,holding means on the locking ring adapted to engage with correspondinglyreciprocal holding means in the shoulder portion of the containerPatented Apr. 18, 19.61.,

4, can be stretched f w w 1 j j "steamers rically opposed parts or thecircumference of the locking' ring.

5. Locking mea ns in combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein oneface'ef the individual teeth on the looking fing'and on the "screw-capis substantially vertical to tlie plane; of their resp'ective bases andthe other face o f the individualteeth inthelocking ring slopes.graduallyjiiownwardly "to its base in the direction in which "thecapwbula be rotated for unscrewing it, and the o'ther face oftheindividual teeth in the screw cap slopes gradual ly'upwardly to its basein'the direction in which the cap would be "rotated for closing.

7, wherein the recess extends from the opening in the into the "tab-likeprotrusion.

9. Locking means in combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein therecess extends into the tab-like protrusion from its outer periphery. Ji t i t 10. Locking means iueon rbination as claimed in claim 1, wherein'-the;loe lring ring has at least one outwardly extending tab-likedisengaging protrusion of suchlength to extend far enough outside ot theperiphery of the screwwap in its "closed position "to-enable such:pro'trusion tobe grasped between "the fin'gers'and' pulled outwardl todisengage the teeth on the locking ring from the teeth on thebottoin'of. the screw-cap. t

"6. "Locking means in combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein theholding means on the locking ring is a recess 'on it and "the reciprocalholding means in the shoulder of the container is a protuberanceilocated adja'c'en't the relatively flat shoulder portion and with itsupperpai't "shaped to serve as a male member to engage in registry .withtherec'ess on the locking ring.

V "7. Locking lmeansin' conibination as c'laimedin claim 6, wherein the"holding means "recess in the locking ring extends tinto anoutwardlyextending tab-like protrusion of'the 8]. Locking in m eombinati'on asclaimed in ll. Locking means in combination "as claimed in claiml0,'wherein teeth are providedononly'part ofthe'circumference of thelocking ringt-and the disengaging protrusion is located adjacent theteeth in the locking ring.

12. A locking ring for acornbination as claimed in claim 11, the openingof which ring is of suchsize to slip over the container neck "and reston 'theicontainers relatively flat shoulder portion, and from which.ring there extends ajplurality of teeth shaped to allow them to beslipped over by correspondinglyt reciprocally shaped teeth projectingfrom the bottom of the skirt 'o'f'a screw-cap as it is near its closedposition and to 'intermesh with ther'n'when it reaches itsclosedlposition, said teeth being provided only on atpa'ir ofdiametrically opposed parts of th e'ring, and a tab-like disengagingprotrusion is located adjacent each of those two toothed partsofthe-ring and extends outwardly from its outer periphery. ReferencesCited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,918,786Schrarnr July 18,1933

